Dance With Me
by Basched
Summary: Dedicated to Laguna's Twin Sister and "Charades." One shot. A night on the Phon coast, music brings out the life in them both. Basch/Ashe.


_This is dedicated to Laguna's Twin Sister for her wonderful Basch/Ashe story, Charades. I read it and became hooked. Please do read!_

_But this fic was inspired by it. This is in no way an encroachment on LTS' work. This does include one of her characters, but this story is not a part of Charades, nor is it an extra chapter. Unless Laguna says any different. Though she gives me her blessing for this for this dedication. Ta chuck! Hope you like it. Xxx _

_The music I intended for the dance is done by a group called Capercaille. It is off their To The Moon Album and also featured in a film. It's called Rob Roy Reels. Do listen to it! J _

_**Dance With Me**_

The fire was lit and flickering orange and red flames soared high into the dark black sky. The whole community had gathered, full of great cheer and energy, though Ashe had no idea why they were being so. She watched from the beach as everyone she had gotten to know over the past few weeks, heartily embraced like old friends and settled themselves down in a large circle around the central fire.

It must be some special occasion, surely no one just got together like this? Yet this was a close community, everyone watched out for each other.

The hunters from the club had all come back earlier, bringing the corpses of their kills, which were now roasting over a spit on the central fire. Some of the women were preparing drinks and people were chipping in with a helping hand, or else conversing in the circle. The feeling of closeness and friendship was so ripe in the air. Along with the smell of cooking meat.

"Shall we join them?"

Ashe turned round and saw Basch standing behind her. He had been hunting with Amon and the others, a new claw mark had torn the clothes he had gotten and added a new scar to his body. She sighed at the thought at having to try and repair the clothes.

"I don't know." she shrugged her shoulders. Though she was intrigued.

"It will be good to see you smile again."

It didn't seem like Ashe really had any choice, for soon Mighty had appeared out of nowhere and was squealing for the "couple" to join in the festivities. A little pawed hand grabbed hold of them and was dragging them with all his strength to the gathering.

"There is no way you two are shying away tonight!" he cried.

From the Moogle's forceful shoves, Ashe and Basch were seated on to the sand. They slumped down, filling a small gap in the large circle.

They were welcomed by all, greeted with friendly handshakes and heart felt hugs, and Ashe…or "Amalia" started to feel more a part of them. To have such trust and bonding made her feel alive, it gave her a hope and elation that she had lost through her amnesia. She looked fleetingly to Basch and though there was an uneasiness in his stature, his eyes shone back at her and a very small smile plied on his lips.

She reached out a hand and her fingers caressed his.

"_We need this night. Time without fear or regret. Just endure and enjoy."_

Then she saw the group of Bangaa stepping to the middle of the circle. Around the fire, these people she had grown to know as friends, brought forth instruments and seated themselves in a position to perform. Their instruments were unknown to her, strange but so alluring and interesting. She watched with fascination as they tuned….pipes, flutes, drums and stringed pieces were tenderly caressed and plucked until the group decided they were ready.

There was no announcement. No introduction for this band, but Ashe watched as one female green Bangaa gently put her flute to her long snouted lips.

The melody was gentle, soft and slow and so beautiful that as soon as she began, some hume women had gotten up from the line of the circle and began to dance around the fire. The flute was then accompanied by soft strings and whispering accordion from other members of the band.

Ashe couldn't recall hearing such beautiful music. It was a lull, a call to pull her into the middle and to the fire. Her eyes closed briefly and her head swayed in time to the caressing high tones. Then her feet began to rock, her hands coiled round in graceful circles and the music filled her soul. She couldn't resist.

Though in the depths of her mind, Ashe wondered if she knew anything about how to dance?

She felt herself get up from the sand, not seeing the surprised gaze from Basch. The music notes dragged her like the other women, her feet gracefully toeing through the sand and her hips swaying in time with the calming notes.

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Basch watched her dance. He couldn't help but. She was like a goddess, graceful and sleek, turning and enticing. She arched her body into such positions, that he could not tear his gaze away. She was like a flower in a soft spring breeze, churning and bending, smiling and revelling in the bliss of tunes.

A dance of feeling. Every movement Ashe made was full of emotion and intensity. Sad, blissful and enticing, he was entranced. It was in the way her hair swirled around her face and shoulders, by the way she turned and the twisting of her body. No Queen behaved like this…he had never even seen her so alive.

She was the highlight of the dancers and even if she had no memory of her past, Ashe danced so spiritually, so like herself that Basch thought, for a brief second, that her amnesia was a ploy. But he caught her gaze and he knew.

It was her spirit. Memory loss or no, this was who she was. A woman so full of feeling, love and passion. The amneisa couldn't tear away her soul. Her dance was amazing, her twirls and sensual entwining with the music _was_ Asheila.

Basch watched further with more eagerness as his queen and charge spun round the fire, her arms held out wide and her luscious form coiling in circles and arches. She spun and spun, her euphoria and pleasure showed like a blossom on her face. Her smile bloomed, her cheeks flushed with pleasure and with every rotation around the fire, her eyes would always meet with his.

_This is what life should be. This is how we should feel. _

And he did feel it. He felt every ache in his breath at the sight of her, he wished for such joy as to be by her side. He craved so hard for a woman he knew that he would only disappoint. That he could not have.

Then, suddenly, the pace of the music changed. It quickened and was hyped with the band's whoops of joy and jubilation. It was fast and jovial, the dancers movement's flared and the rest of the band joined in with crazy and erratic perfection of performance.

Ashe reacted immediately to the change. She became more lively and she skipped and bounced around the fire. Her feet skimmed and fleeted over the sands, her arms whisked around in the air, but Basch could not calm himself with her whirling seductions. Could she be more lovely…could his heart possibly beat more?

Then Ashe glided over to him, her smile beaming so wide as she offered out her hand.

"Dance with me, Basch!"

Panic and terror swamped him. He couldn't possibly get up and dance, it was not something he had ever done, or even wanted to. To dance with her? It was unthinkable, but still her hand was stretched out to him.

"Basch! Come on!"

Did the look of fear in his eyes not show her that he didn't want to? Did the shaking of his head and the nervous trembling of his hands belie his reluctance? Ashe wasn't going to accept no for an answer.

The cheers and encouragements from the others only made Basch decline even more, but Ashe grabbed hold of his hands and dragged him up from the sand.

"I don't dance!" he protested.

She simply laughed and pulled him into the crowd of other dancers. His feet stumbled and tripped, but Ashe steadied him and lead him off into a furied and intense spin around the fire.

The music quickened even more, the whistles and pipes flurried and blended together and as her hold on him tightened, Basch began to feel his feet move in time with hers.

They whirled around the other couples, but he couldn't seem them any more. Everything around him blurred and faded away. There was only Ashe before him, holding his hands and crying loud with joy and euphoria. She was his world.

The fear inside him was gone and it was replaced with a smile.

Then it wasn't enough to just hold her hands any more, so he swept her off the ground and clung her body tightly to his.

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Ashe screamed with surprise as she was pulled up into the air by Basch. She flung her arms around his neck and screamed again as her Knight continued the fast paced dance still holding her.

She felt the sweat soaking him, she felt the frantic beating of his heart and his throbbing muscles and his strong arms made her so secure in the dizzying twirl he performed. At times she had to close her eyes from becoming too dizzy, others she allowed her arms to hold out to the side as she was confident he wouldn't let her drop. Though when he gave the pretence of almost dropping her, Ashe shrilled like an excited little girl. He didn't let her fall. His hold stayed true.

She wished that the music would never end.

When it eventually did, Ashe felt Basch's feet stumble as he tried to bring himself to a halt, but his arms would not release her. His chest was heaving with exhaustion, his hair was damp and clung to his flushed face, but he was a smiling. Oh gods, he was smiling so much that it seemed too strange. She knew he didn't do this much, but was a smile so rare on this man that it came as such a surprise?

There was the sound of applause and great cheer from the camp's inhabitants. Ashe heard the whistles and claps so loudly, but even the roaring fire behind Basch didn't deter her from looking him.

This was not normal. He didn't smile like this. He certainly didn't hold her in this manner. Not even in all their time at the Phon coast, did Basch Fon Ronsenberg dared to be so informal. Not that she minded this new side to him.

Their "guises" were as a married couple, but Basch had never been comfortable with it.

Now as they looked at each other, she saw and knew the real reason why he had been.

The volume of their friends and neighbours voices were still ringing loudly in the night. The band even began to play once again as the food was cut and served, but still the Queen and her Knight never moved from their spot. He still held her in his arms, her legs coiled around his waist and their foreheads rested together. Their breaths were still hard and spent, their hearts still raced. No one disturbed their moment. They simply walked around them and allowed them their time.

Time to finally allow the briefest yet most tender touching of lips.


End file.
